THE GALATIAN PROBLEM

1. It seems very clear that while Paul had
problems with some non-Christian Jews [see Acts 13:45-46, 1
Thessalonians 2:14-16 and elsewhere] he was not addressing them when he
wrote his scathing letter to the Galatians.

2. The people he was
so angry with were Christian Jews; that is, Jews who had received Jesus
as the Messiah and committed themselves to him.

3. The proof of
that is that they were offering “a gospel” to Galatians who were
already in Jesus Christ [Galatians 3:1-5]. In addition, Paul becomes
specific in 2:4-14 and levels an accusation against his fellow Christian
Jews [including Peter and Barnabas].

4. So what exactly was
Paul enraged about? It’s clear that Paul was called by God to a mission
peculiarly [not exclusively] to Gentiles as surely as Peter [and others]
were commissioned with the gospel to the Jews [Galatians 2.7-8]. What
troubled Paul was that some Christian Jews came into the region where he
had established churches among the Gentiles and they were demanding
that these Gentiles live as Jews. That is, to be Torah observant
[including being circumcised] if they were to be saved and blessed in
Jesus [Galatians 2:14b, 5:11-5 and compare Acts 15:1].

5. And
what was wrong with that? It’s usual for us to say that these Christian
Jews were teaching salvation by keeping “the moral law” rather than
requiring membership in the Jewish community. It’s
usual to hear that they were teaching salvation by personal virtue and
merit but neither of those proposals is what Paul talks about. Read
again the entire second chapter and see that it is about binding on
Gentiles the Torah, the Jewish law with the food laws, circumcision and
all that goes with it [compare also 4:17, 21-31 and 5:1-2].

6.
Yes, we’re told, but since the Mosaic Law required sinlessness then to
bring Gentiles under the Mosaic Law was in effect laying on them the
demand for sinlessness. [See 3:10-12 which is used to support this claim
that the Mosaic Law demanded sinlessness. Click here for a related piece.]

7.
But did these Christian Jews believe they were sinless? Did they
believe they were required to be sinless? Did they not believe that they
were sinners and aren’t the psalms filled with people who confessed sin
and asked for forgiveness and thanked God for graciously granting it?
The notion that the OT demanded sinlessness is false. Note Acts 15:11
and note again that Peter was indicted in Galatians 2.

8. So when the Jewish Christians who were disturbing the churches Paul had established independent of Jewish law observance demanded that Gentile Christians become Jews they were not asking the Gentiles to earn
their salvation by good works; they were not trying to bring Gentiles
under a law that demanded sinlessness. That wasn’t what enraged Paul.

9. Let me repeat, the Jews that Paul is angry with in Galatians are Christian Jews who believed in forgiveness of sins in Jesus. The problem was that they believed that everyone
had to be a Torah-observant Jew or turn to Judaism in order to get
forgiveness and blessing in the Messiah [see again Acts 15.1].

10.
This implied that all that God had been doing through Paul [and others]
among the Gentiles had not brought salvation or blessing. Paul’s divine
commission to the Gentiles [see again Galatians 2:7-8] was being
undermined and the Gentile saving relationship to Jesus was denied. In
effect, God had not and was not saving these people by the gospel Paul
proclaimed. The “true” gospel, these people claimed, was not Paul’s—it
was the gospel with an exclusively Jewish twist; a gospel Paul said was
no gospel at all [Galatians 1:6-9].

11. There was no necessity
for Jews to cease being Jews to find forgiveness and life in Jesus [see
Romans 10:9-10, Acts 21:18-26 and 1 Corinthians 9:20 but note Galatians
2:14].Nevertheless there was something fundamentally wrong about Jews
demanding that Gentiles become Jew in order to find life in the Messiah.

The Consequences of Divorce and Remarriage

Christians increasingly find themselves faced with the dilemma of
dealing with individuals (usually non-Christian) who divorce and remarry
any number of times for any number of reasons, and who come wishing to
become part of the local church. The tendency is to permit the couple to
remain in the marriage relationship they are in when they become
Christians—though the marriage was contracted in violation of Matthew
19:9. This position usually cloaks itself in feigned compassion for the
couple when, more often than not, members simply lack the spiritual
courage to press the biblical position. One argument posed in defense of
this stance is the notion that if the couple cannot continue their
marriage after baptism, then baptism did not really cleanse them and
adultery becomes the “unpardonable sin.” Several points which show the
error of this position are in order:
First, much is accomplished at the point of biblical baptism, but
baptism was never designed to change a sinful practice into an
acceptable one, or to transform a sinful relationship into a righteous
one. Prostitutes, homosexuals, polygamists, bisexuals, bigamists, and
adulterers must sever their relationships.
Second, the biblical doctrine of forgiveness must not be confused with
the equally biblical doctrine of the consequences of sin. Being forgiven
never implies that all of the consequences of sin will be erased. Past sin may be blotted out, but the consequences of past sin generally remain. For example:

Syphilis of the brain is a lasting consequence of a promiscuous lifestyle;

Permanent removal from the garden was a lasting penalty and consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3);

Being banned from Canaan was a lasting penalty of Moses’ sin
(Deuteronomy 32:51-52), though he could be forgiven and one day be in
heaven (Revelation 15:3);

God pardoned the murmurers (Numbers 14:20)—but the negative effects of
their sin were lasting and disastrous (Numbers 14:29-35);

Esau’s mistake of selling his inheritance rights could not be
rectified—“though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:17).

This biblical principle simply does not square with the notion that if
anyone has to break up a marriage, too much is expected of them and
forgiveness is not really what it’s “cracked up” to be. If biblical
history teaches us anything, it teaches us that people cannot sin and
then expect to have things the way they were before. More often than
not, much suffering comes upon those who violate God’s will, even though
they may be forgiven and have the hope of heaven.
So it is with marriage. People may reject God’s laws of marriage and
fly in the face of His will. They may then be forgiven, but they may
also have gotten their lives into such a fix that they will have no
choice but to live single and celibate the rest of their lives. Such is
not a reflection upon God’s justice or mercy. Rather, such is a
reflection of man’s own stubborn disobedience and rejection of what God
designed to be for man’s good. Just as a person can sin and in so doing
lose his physical life without God intervening to
prevent the effect of the sin (e.g., rob a bank and be killed by the
police), likewise a person can so sin in the marital realm that he or
she forfeits marital life without God intervening.
Third, baptism is not biblical immersion if it is not preceded
by repentance. We often forget this, so anxious are we to get people
into the baptistery. Repentance is not simply being sorry. Godly sorrow
precedes genuine repentance which is, in turn, followed by a reformation
of life (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Reformation of life entails the
cessation of sinful practices and the severance of sinful relationships
(Matthew 3:8; 1 Corinthians 6:11). Paul put it this way in Romans 6:2—a
person must not “live any longer therein.”
What did those who practiced sorcery do to show repentance in Acts 19:19? They burned their scrolls, showing that they were ceasing
their former practices. Simply vowing to refrain from buying any
further books, while insisting on keeping the books they already had,
would manifest a lack of true repentance. If they held membership in a
sorcery society, repentance would mean that they would sever that
relationship. Simon’s repentance and baptism in Acts 8 demanded the
cessation of his former relationship with sorcery. What did repentance
and baptism mean to the Corinthians? Consider the following chart:

Whether the Corinthians had been practicing adultery, homosexuality,
male prostitution, thievery, or swindling (1 Corinthians 6:9-10),
repentance prior to baptism would mean that they would have ceased
living in illicit sexual unions—whether adulterous or homosexual. They
would have ceased stealing and would have severed their relationship
with ill-gotten gain. They would have given up any business arrangement
that would call for swindling others. Repentance, by definition, would demand such. And those who continue to live in such relationships have not really repented.
One final point merits attention. Some attempt to justify adulterous
unions by comparing the sin of adultery to murder. They say that there
are some wrongs which cannot be righted. In the case of murder, a man
may repent but he cannot raise his victim to life. They say that an
unscriptural marriage fits in the same category.
This is a false analogy. In the first place, severing an illicit
relationship is not an attempt to rectify past divorces or restore past
marriages. Rather, it is what is demanded by repentance and God’s laws
of marriage. Second, the basic principle which does apply to both murder
and adultery is that repentance demands that the individual cease
committing murder and that he cease living in adultery (Colossians 3:7).
Can a penitent murderer continue to murder? No. He will cease the
relationship which he once had with the murderous life he once lived.
Likewise, one who is living in a state of adultery will be lost if he or
she dies in that state (Revelation 21:8). Just saying, “I’m sorry,”
will not change that state or change that relationship into a righteous
one so that it may be continued. Nowhere has God ever dealt with sin in
such a way. He always demands the cessation of the sinful practice or
relationship before He abundantly pardons. John the
Baptizer was not asking Herod to simply acknowledge his sin, say he was
sorry and ask forgiveness, and then continue to live with Herodias.
Herod had married her (Mark 6:17). What did repentance
demand? That they break up their marriage. Why? Because, as John
declared, “It [was] not lawful for [Herod] to have her” (Mark 6:18)!
There wasn’t anything that Herod could merely verbalize that would change the status of the marital relationship. It had to be terminated.

"THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"
The Testimony Of John The Baptist (1:19-34)
INTRODUCTION
1. In the prologue to John's gospel, we were introduced to John the
Baptist...
a. A man sent from God - Jn 1:6
b. Who came to bear witness of the Light - Jn 1:7-8
c. Who bore witness to the preeminence and preexistence of the Light
- Jn 1:15
2. As John begins the narrative portion of his gospel, he starts with
John the Baptist...
a. His testimony to priests and Levites from the Pharisees in
Jerusalem - Jn 1:19-28
b. His testimony the next day when he saw Jesus - Jn 1:29-34
[What did John the Baptist testify concerning Jesus? What lessons might
we glean from his testimony? We note first of all that John the Baptist
proclaimed...]
I. I AM NOT THE CHRIST
A. HIS TESTIMONY ABOUT HIMSELF...
1. He confessed he was not the Christ - Jn 1:19-20
a. Many people wondered if he were the Christ - cf. Lk 3:15
b. John clearly asserts that he was not the Christ
2. He was not literally Elijah as foretold by Malachi - Jn 1:21a
a. Some thought Elijah would return in person, which John
denies - cf. Mal 4:5
b. John did fulfill the prophecy, which was figurative
1) As foretold by the angel Gabriel - cf. Lk 1:l7
2) As testified by Jesus - cf. Mt 11:11-15; Mt 17:10-13
3. He was not the Prophet foretold by Moses - Jn 1:21b
a. Moses foretold a Prophet like him would come - cf. Deut 18:
15-18
b. Many people were anticipating the arrival of this Prophet
- cf. Jn 6:14; 7:40
c. This Prophet was indeed Jesus, not John - cf. Ac 3:22-26
4. He was the one foretold by Isaiah - Jn 1:22-23
a. The voice of one crying in the wilderness - cf. Isa 40:1-3
b. Sent to prepare the way of the Lord - cf. Lk 1:16-17;
2:76-79
B. LESSONS FROM HIS TESTIMONY...
1. John's example is a powerful one for all Christians, especially
ministers
2. As followers of Christ, our task is similar to his role as
forerunner
a. To deflect attention away from ourselves, and point people
to Christ!
b. Let us never forget, no matter how honored we may be, we are
not the Christ!
[As John continues with his testimony, he proclaims concerning Jesus...]
II. HE IS PREFERRED BEFORE ME
A. HIS TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST...
1. Given in response to those from the Pharisees - Jn 1:24-25,28
a. Why did he baptize, if not Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet?
b. For he had been baptizing in Bethabara (or Bethany) beyond
the Jordan
2. The One coming after him is preferred before him - Jn 1:26-27
a. Even One who was in their midst as he spoke!
b. Whose sandal strap not even John was not worthy to loose!
3. The reason Jesus was preferred before him?
a. "For He was before me" (i.e., because of His preexistence)
- cf. Jn 1:15,30
b. "Who is mightier than I" (i.e., because of His power) - cf.
Mk 1:7
4. John would later reaffirm Jesus' preference over himself
a. "He must increase, but I must decrease" - Jn 3:30
b. He is "above all" - Jn 3:31
B. LESSONS FROM HIS TESTIMONY...
1. We should not hesitate to exalt Jesus over self - cf. Lk 9:
23-24
a. He is preferred before us
b. While we may be the body of Christ, He is the head! - cf. Ep 1:22-23
2. Jesus deserves our humble service and adoration
a. Because of His power - cf. Col 1:16
b. Because of His preexistence - cf. Col 1:17
c. Because of His headship over the body, the church - cf. Co 1:18
[On the next day, John the Baptist had another opportunity to testify
concerning Jesus, in which he declared...]
III. BEHOLD! THE LAMB OF GOD
A. HIS TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST...
1. Declaring Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world!" - Jn 1:29
a. As foretold by Isaiah - cf. Isa 53:4-7,10-12
b. As later proclaimed by the apostles - cf. 1Co 15:3; 1 Pe 2:24; 1Jn 2:2
2. Identifying Jesus as the "Man who is preferred before me" - Jn 1:30
a. Because He was before John (i.e., His preexistence)
b. Even more so now as the Savior of the world!
B. LESSONS FROM HIS TESTIMONY...
1. We should never forget the basis of our salvation!
a. We are not saved on the basis of our good deeds - cf. Tit 3:5
b. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb! - cf. Re 1:5; 5:9; Ro 5:1
2. We should ever point the world to Jesus!
a. He is their only hope for forgiveness of sins! - cf. 1Ti 2:
5-6
b. We should proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified! - cf.
1Co 2:2
[If Jesus is truly "preferred before" us, we will never hesitate to
offer Him as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Finally, we
note John's testimony concerning Jesus that...]
IV. THIS IS THE SON OF GOD
A. HIS TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST...
1. "I did not know Him" - Jn 1:31,33
a. Though related, Jesus lived in Nazareth, John in the Judean
desert
b. Even if there had been a casual acquaintance, John did not
know Jesus as the Messiah
c. Yet John came baptizing with water
1) That the Christ might be revealed to Israel
2) For upon whom the Spirit would descend, would be the One
who baptizes with the Holy Spirit - cf. Mt 3:11
2. "I saw the Spirit descending...and He remained upon Him" - Jn 1:32
a. Just as John was told to anticipate - Jn 1:33
b. Which occurred when Jesus was baptized by John - cf. Mt 3:16
3. "I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." - Jn 1:34
a. John saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove - cf. Mt 3:16
b. John testified to the same truth as spoken from above: "This
is My beloved Son" - cf. Mt 3:17
B. LESSONS FROM HIS TESTIMONY...
1. We must be willing to confess Jesus as did John - cf. Mt 10:
32-33
2. We must confess Him to be the Son of God
a. As did Nathanael - cf. Jn 1:49
b. As did Peter - cf. Jn 6:68-69
c. As did Martha - cf. Jn 11:27
3. We must believe Jesus to be the Son of God in order to be saved
a. As John declares in his gospel - Jn 20:31
b. As the Ethiopian eunuch confessed in order to be baptized
- cf. Ac 8:37CONCLUSION
1. Jesus would later describe the testimony of John...
a. He bore witness to the truth - Jn 5:33
b. He was the burning and shining light - Jn 5:35
c. In which some were willing to rejoice - Jn 5:35
2. Are we willing to rejoice in the testimony of John...?
a. Knowing that John was not the Christ?
b. Understanding that Jesus is preferred above John and all others?
c. Accepting Jesus to be the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin
of the world?
d. Willing to confess along with John that Jesus is the Son of God?
If we are willing to accept the testimony of John the Baptist and obey
the Son of God, eternal life can be ours! - cf.. Jn 3:36; He 5:9; Mk
16:16

When I was a boy in grade school, I was taught that the planets revolve around the sun- and so they do. However, as the second of the two pictures above points out, the Sun is also moving and so the concept of a Vortex is quite valid and technically, I suppose, more accurate than the old Heliocentric model. However, even though I find the Vortex concept to be a better understanding, I take issue with the concept of the Sun being like a comet. Sol does not exist by itself in the universe, but rather is part of a grander scheme of galaxies, local groups of galaxies, etc.. What is really important here is our thinking. Are we so "old school" that we cannot conceive of previously learned concepts in new ways (even if we have more than a few years under our belt)?...

Now, it is a good thing to rethink the things previously taught us, but, what about the practical lessons of life? You know, the day to day stuff- how we live, how we think and what do we actually do because of these two things. I probably shouldn't have, but nevertheless, I chose the title for today's post "Heliocentric Vortex Theology". Why? Because these words describe my thinking about the practical application of that subtle change in thinking from the Heliocentric to the vortex in regards to thinking about God and then applying that to our ordinary life. Lets begin with to seemingly unrelated passages from the Scriptures...

Matthew 5:1-16 NASB(1) When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.(2) He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,(3) "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(4) "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.(5) "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.(6) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.(7) "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.(8) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.(9) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.(10) "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(11) "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.(12) "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.(13) "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.(14) "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;(15) nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.(16) "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

And

2 Peter 1:1-8 NASB(1) Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:(2) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;(3) seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.(4) For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.(5) Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,(6) and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,(7) and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.(8) For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus and Peter; two very different individuals!!! First, the passage from Jesus' "Sermon on the mount". Please notice the progression within the "Beatitudes". First his "Blessed" statements concern themselves with our thinking about ourselves and progress to our relationship with God, to others and finally the results of those things. So, the one who follows Jesus would change the focus of their life (one dimensional - everything is about me) to a more inclusive perspective (What would God [and of course, Jesus] wish me to do for him?). Secondly, Peter's writing. Notice, that everything pertaining to life and godliness is though the true knowledge of HIM who called us. That would be God and his prophet, priest and king- Jesus. Specifically, though his words- and that would include the "Beatitudes". Applying them would have been something Peter would have called discipleship.

The point of this entire post is that of change. Change from thinking as the world does, with its emphasis on self-gratification to discipleship of the God of Heaven. If we are willing to do this, then our lives will be enriched, empowered and molded by Jesus. Also, the words of growth penned by Peter will transform our brief existence into something wonderful. It is like our view of the Solar System changing from a Heliocentric to a Vortex concept, but applied to the Almighty. And that is life-changing!!!! You could almost call it a theology- Wait, I did that!!!